Gov. Deval Patrick denies interest in US Senate seat
In this photo released by CBS, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, talks about the revolution in Libya on CBS's "Face the Nation" in Washington Sunday, March 6, 2011. Kerry said the U.S. and its allies should plan for a no-fly zone over Libya, but that a no-fly zone should not go into operation without an international agreement. (AP Photo/CBS, Chris Usher) NO ARCHIVES. NO SALES. Purchase photo reprints »
JERREY ROBERTS
Sen. John Kerry fields a question during a town hall meeting Saturday at Northampton Center for the Arts. Purchase photo reprints »Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, right, takes questions from members of the media as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, left, during an event at Warren's campaigns headquarters, in Somerville, Mass., Wednesday, May 30, 2012, during which Patrick formally endorsed Warren in her campaign for the Senate seat. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Purchase photo reprints »
GORDON DANIELS
Govenor Duval Patrick, 2nd from left, laughs along with the crowd, during Richard Sullivan's introduction to Kristin DeBoer, executive director, Kestrel Land Trust, right. Also from left are U. S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Sam Jones, Paul C. Jones's grandson and Ruth Owen Jones, (Mrs. Paul C. Jones). Purchase photo reprints »Chart shows the top 10 states for jobs in the new app economy; U.S. map show the top 10 states; a new study shows more than 460,000 jobs have been created since 2007, when the first iPhone was introduced. MCT 2012
With CPT-APP-INDUSTRY, McClatchy Washington Bureau by Rob Hotakainen
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AMHERST — Gov. Deval Patrick said Tuesday he is not interested in seeking a U.S. Senate seat if John Kerry is appointed to President Barack Obama’s Cabinet.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Obama is considering Kerry to replace Leon Panetta as secretary of defense. There also has been speculation that Kerry might succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.
If Kerry resigns his Senate seat, Patrick would appoint a temporary senator until a special election is held.
Patrick, who attended Tuesday morning’s season-opening University of Massachusetts men’s basketball game at the Mullins Center, said he is not ready to publicly speculate on potential candidates for the Senate.
“One thing at a time,” he said.
He did dismiss rumors that he would be interested in the job himself.
“Serving in the Senate myself? No, no. I have the only job in politics that I’ve ever wanted,” Patrick said. “I have two more years to finish it up. We’ve got a lot to do.”
Patrick added that he is looking forward to continuing to work with Obama, who was re-elected last week.
“It’s a great time. It was a really great week last week,” Patrick said. “We’ve got tremendous work to do and it’s great to have such a good partner in the president.”
Patrick and his wife, Diane, were in Washington over the weekend for dinner with Obama.
The governor’s stay in western Massachusetts Tuesday was brief. He left the game early for an event in Worcester.
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